Both General Motors and Nissan released statements calling for the continuation of the electric-car tax credit.

Environmental advocacy groups, meanwhile, highlighted the bill's continuation of subsidies for the fossil-fuel industry and its expanded nuclear-power tax breaks.

They noted that while those provisions remain or grow, the bill cuts incentives for renewable solar and wind power.

Oil field (Image: Flickr user johnny choura, used under CC license)

General Motors urged the government to retain the electric-vehicle tax credits, and said it "will work with Congress to explore ways to maintain this incentive.”

"Tax credits are an important customer benefit that can help accelerate the acceptance of electric vehicles," added Elizabeth Winter, GM Global Advanced Technology Communications.

Nissan echoed a similar sentiment in its own statement. "We support continuing measures that help encourage greater adoption of EVs given the benefits they can provide, such as lowering vehicle emissions and reducing America’s dependency on foreign energy sources," the Japanese company said.

Despite multiple inquiries by Green Car Reports, Tesla did not respond to our request for comment on that provision of the tax bill.

The end of the credit would follow GM's national launch of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, and come as Nissan prepares to launch the second-generation 2018 Leaf and Tesla works through bottleneck production issues with its lower-priced Model 3.

Even if the electric-car tax credits survive, however, those three automakers will soon approach the maximum number of vehicles for which their buyers can claim the credit.